Chemical
by Exorcism Expert
Summary: It was chemical, really. One reaction set of another and another and yet there was no catalyst that was unaffected. Slash, RaitoxL, RaitoxL2, yaoi; Light starts as seme, but things may change as the story progresses.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This is set in an alternative universe with similar happenings as those that happened in Death Note. There is a mentioning of Beyond Birthday from Death Note: Another Note, and there are spoilers for those of you who haven't read the entire Death Note series or seen the entire anime.

**Summary: **It was chemical, really. One reaction set of another and another and yet there was no catalyst that was unaffected. Slash, LxRaito, RaitoxL2, L2=L

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**CHEMICAL**

If he'd had a choice, he would have taken everything back.

That was a lie. He wouldn't have taken back the things he'd said or the things that he'd done, but he did wish the end result would have been different. It would have saved a life. After all, that life had belonged to him from the moment the Death Note fell from the Shinigami realm and then been grasped by his perfect hands. The world had been his that very second.

However, that didn't change the fact that he didn't want his only rival to die, not like that anyway. If he'd had a choice, he wouldn't have wanted L to die by his own hands. L's life had been worth something; they'd been after the same cause, after all. Just as Raito was aiming for purifying the world of its self-induced filth by eliminating those who were the sources of the evil, L had gone about it in the slow and monotonous way, saving one series of potential victims at a time, always losing time and another case with every second that passed.

So Raito shouldn't have regretted anything seeing as it was L's stupidity that had killed him. Raito had only done the will of the universe and taken him out. That was how the universe worked. Survival of the fittest. Not strong enough? Too bad; you die.

Still, Raito regretted having lost a life such as L's, if only for the fact that he had lost one of the few people who had actually had any impact on the world. Everyone knew of L and everyone knew who he was. They would have trusted him even without ever seeing his face because of his history and what he'd done. Raito did regret his death but not because of guilt. Guilt was below him. Gods didn't feel guilt. They felt power. Raito felt power.

So why was Raito in this laboratory, looking down at little amoebas as if they were the solution to the problem he was harboring? Maybe it was because the little cells that were splayed so carefully across the Petri dish were an answer, maybe the only answer he would ever get the chance to test. Or maybe it was because he knew that pieces of L were in that Petri dish and he just enjoyed having bits of his enemy/cohort in front of him so he could poke and prod at him.

Both were true but even Raito wasn't sure which was more potent at the very moment. All he cared for was the fact that he had L's cells in this little Petri dish and he was in a lab—no one knew he was in the lab of course; Gods weren't allowed to sully their hands with legal business and contracts so he'd obviously killed all the inhabitants of this lab and taken it over for himself—that had allegedly stored stem cells taken from the umbilical cords of various children. That was what he appreciated of the criminal world: ingredients were so much easier to come by.

Raito had taken biology and science classes and just as with all his other classes, he exceeded in all aspects. So he knew that stem cells could be manipulated, transformed into any kind of cell needed. And he had access to millions, zillions of them even. They were there, being kept incubated so they could multiply and stay alive, ready to be taken over by a more intellectual cell, one more prepared to order another cell around than to take orders. A cell like the one in Raito's Petri dish, the L cell.

* * *

Things had been going well. The various cells that were now controlling the once-useless stem cells were multiplying rapidly under the conditions Raito had set for them. Stem cells had become L's brain cells—brain cells that Raito could see were only normal and very much human.

Raito was playing God and he knew it, but only he could do it. If he ruled the Death Note and could kill on a whim like a God could, surely he could create life like a God. For every fall, there was a rise that caused it. For every death, there had to be a life added. Surely that was how the world worked, God or not.

Somehow, Raito hadn't suspected he'd reach such a major conflict though. He had thought to recreate L, to bring him back to life. Had he thought it through, he would have realized that even if he was able to bring someone like L back to life, there was no way to be sure whether or not he would be the L Raito knew. He could very well be an empty shell of a human, lifeless and a puppet just like the prisoners Raito had sent to leave those notes before their deaths. L's note would surely say, 'FAILURE'.

Raito looked down at the organs that were slowly developing, the tissue having begun to spread through the incubation unit's ceramic tray just weeks before, and shook his head as if to knock away the negative thoughts.

L would be coming back. There was no way that he wouldn't. He couldn't _not _come back.

--

There were things that shouldn't have existed, that Raito knew. Psychopaths and crazy murderers and criminals shouldn't exist. Because of their existence, Raito had gracefully fallen into this life of killing others in order to prevent the innocent from being killed. It was a bit of that horrid irony that he hated so much. That didn't change the fact that Raito found himself staring down at what he had created, the mass of organs, silicone tunnel-like veins, and the metal frame that was shaped so magnificently into a skeleton. As he stared on at the working organs and the perfectly functioning body that he had created, he knew that whatever it was, it wasn't L. There was no skin and no feathered, messy black hair and there was no way that L would be L without any of those characteristics. So Raito went back to the drawing board, leaving his perfect recreation of the human body alone, its faceless, empty skull facing toward the bright medical light above it, unseeing for there were no onyx eyes to see it.

--

Skin was what Raito needed first. He wouldn't make the mistake Dr. Frankenstein had made when he had sewn together the flesh of other men. No, L's skin would have to be alive and it would have to regenerate. That was impossible in most standards. If only Raito could get his hands on some donated skin from a perfectly willing donor, he wouldn't have to force someone to give it up by using the Death Note. This was L. People should have been begging to bring him back to life, offering their very beings to bring him back. This was the difference between the world and Raito. Raito was ready to risk what he could. The world didn't risk anything that was worth risking.

To stay alive, cells function with other organs and multiply through mitosis when one cell dies. That's how humans stayed alive. Raito remembered the time he told Sayu that the cells in their body had to split so there would be more, otherwise the body would die. Sayu had started crying hysterically, thinking about what would happen if her cells were sub par and couldn't regenerate because they were bad at math and didn't know how to divide. That was Sayu's thinking when she was ten. Raito's thinking now was very similar.

L's cells weren't splitting up and regenerating as they were supposed to. Some were sluggishly dividing only to become deformed so there was less than half a split between the two cells. Others were dividing and dying too quickly. It wasn't something Raito knew how to fix. He looked for answers in one of those shining beacons he'd always heard about but not once was there anything he could actually use. Books didn't hold the answers he needed and no medical journals could even begin to scratch the surface of what he needed.

Raito was stuck wondering if maybe L would remain the perfectly constructed organ-palette that he'd created. The one that was L-shaped, that had thin, sinewy muscles and spider-like hands that were creepier now that they had no skin.

No, that can't happen, Raito thought to himself. God won't allow it.

--

Time was something that was never in supply when Raito was at work in the laboratory. Seldom did he have the time or concentration it took for him to relax in his apartment, the one that had once been shared with Misa, until she was taken care of. With Rem gone and Ryuk never around and never bothering him, Misa was just another pawn that could be sacrificed right on the chess board. One false move from her and that was it. Besides, he didn't need Misa's eyes anymore. He had his own. Science was wonderful, and that's what Raito had been researching even before he had started trying to bring L back to life.

By extending his own life, the life that his body wouldn't allow him to have if he had remained the way he was born, he could get the Shinigami eyes and not have to have anyone around as a liability. So he did. It was what he did best after all, outrunning death. His body's growth had been halted and he would stay young. No, that wasn't entirely accurate. His body's growth had been stunted and despite the fact that he was now 21 and wouldn't grow very much either way, his body's strength had been increased. He had added approximately 75 years to his own lifespan as Ryuk had confirmed. It was brilliant, really, how simple science could be when one was as determined as Raito had been.

Now, however, time—the time that Raito had dedicated to himself seeing as he was well on his way to becoming immortal—was being spent in front of a stack of papers, the statistics and cat scans staring at Raito in the face. Brain scans, MRIs, various tests on the newly developed nervous system, hidden just beneath L's new skin, all pointed to one thing.

Raito had done it.

A fully developed brain, filled with the very cells that may or may not have made L Lawliet special, was ready. Raito's gloves snapped onto his hands as he rushed around the laboratory, preparing the defibrillator and the gel and applying it to the metal paddles before setting them down at his table.

He was going to do this. He was going to give L a brain, kill him, and then bring him back to life.

He stared at the brain that was now sitting in fluids, the fully developed organ that would make or break his creation. How he'd even gotten this far wasn't beyond him but still, he was just so excited that he found it impossible to not look down at his glorious masterpiece of a brain and glow. His smile spread into that smirk he wore as L had slowly lost his life to a Death Note-Induced heart attack. He was going to bring L Lawliet, the greatest detective in the world, back from the dead.

He had already prepared L's head, having removed the top part of the skull and straightened the spine. The silicone tubes that were to attach the cerebral cord to spine and nervous system were in place and as he lowered the brain into the empty cavity, he took a deep breath and grinned down as everything fell into place.

It took him hours to connect everything together, the magnifying glasses he wore pinching uncomfortably at his nose. When he finally drilled the top of L's skull back into place, metal plates reinforcing the hold, he did so with such careful delicacy that he had almost seemed to be a tender, loving moment.

At completion, he stared down at the body of his enemy and decided it was time. It had taken nearly a year, approximately nine months—he had noticed that that timing was perfect; it almost seemed as if L was just being reborn—and now he'd have his reward.

The perfect skin he had formed from skin cells that belonged to someone, someone with the pseudonym of Beyond Birthday, that he'd found in one of the incubation units that were hidden within the back rooms of this laboratory, they were similar to L's. The description was similar and Raito had only hoped that they'd work. They did. The same pale skin was now stretched perfectly over the muscles that L now harbored. It had taken weeks but Raito had found eyes, brilliant eyes of black and slate gray that were round and open, dark and unseeing just as L's had been. He smiled at the way the newly formed skin had settled perfectly over as L's eyelids. Everything was just perfect.

The machines that were keeping L's organs running were all attached together, blood already running through his system. There was but one problem.

They hadn't begun working together yet.

It was one of those things Raito hadn't planned on. He had hoped that the organs would just fit together perfectly, pumping blood in sync with one another, running the body together as if they had been morphed together by God himself. It hadn't worked out that way. Without the brain, the most complex of the organs, it couldn't have possibly run by itself without an order to do so. Seeing as the brain was the only organ that was capable of giving out orders without the assistance of another organ and the fact that it had taken the longest to form, L's organs had yet to begin their comradeship.

Raito would have to stop L's heart, restart it, and then hope that the connections that now kept L's body together would be enough to keep him together. If L's heart failed to restart, the entire mission would be a total failure. The brain would have to send out orders for the heart to continue beating. If it didn't, everything would be moot. Another 'FAILURE' would be added to his list of L-related conquests. He would not stand for it.

With the paddles prepped and the body bare of any of the silicone and metal connectors that kept it alive, Raito shocked L.

Flat line.

Not deterred, Raito recharged the paddles and shocked him again to see the line spike before falling again. Now worried, he charged it again and pressed the paddles with force to L's chest.

Finally, a heart beat.

L's skin was nearly transparent, taking on a blue hue from the breath that his body hadn't been able to take. Raito saw the chest moving now, though, could feel the heart beat—strong and pumping—beneath his hand. He had succeeded. He had brought L back to life.

He was God.

Had he not looked at the DNA and the very essence of L's cells, he would have not taken to believing that he was a God because L's cells had to be mutant or something in order for L to have even survived so long. L was just _weird_. Anyone could have seen it, from the way he walked to the way he slept; all of it was just pure insanity for the average person. However, looking down at the beautiful specimen he had created—the transplanted head of hair that was just a few inches shorter than that of the original L's and just as dark, the pale skin, the eyelids that were a pale lavender from what looked like lack of sleep—he couldn't help but find the beauty within L's own very being. L was a masterpiece in himself; it wasn't surprising that Raito would be the only one to see it. After all, Raito—despite all arguments he would ever start over whether this was true or not—considered L to be his only _real _friend.

Raito sat beside the body and looked on, taking notes detachedly, never really _not _focusing on L.

--

He really should have expected it; L was really just a newborn, after all.

It just didn't seem right though, thinking of L as someone who wasn't intelligent. L was always smart in Raito's memories, always the perfect adversary. This L…he had something left to be desired. Not because he wasn't smart, not really. He just had to be taught. The old L never had to be taught.

L2 couldn't speak when he first woke and he looked confused and yet aware all at the same time. The garbled jumble that had fallen from his lips was in the same tone that L used but it wasn't nearly as monotonous. L2's voice sounded so much more emotional, much more wet in its dialogue than L's. Raito wasn't entirely sure which he preferred. He understood what Raito was saying though, which made things a bit easier.

L2 learned fast though, much like Raito expected L to have learned. The brain cells that had been developed were that of an older L after all, not at all a childlike one, despite the age of the cells. They were mature enough that Raito had no trouble training L2, giving him disks to listen to and memorize, to be quizzed on. He was told to watch videos so he would learn things and Raito would leave him alone for hours just for that purpose, so he would gain a sense of independence just like Raito had had as he was a child. Raito always had the upper hand, of course. His mind had already been trained and he could still learn more. L2 was limited to what Raito wanted him to learn –though Raito hardly held anything back from him; L2 _needed _knowledge, clearly displaying that when he finished reading textbooks after only hours of having it and wondering if there was another volume.

Raito held L2 at arms length, telling him to be independent and smart and to not screw up, never wanting to gain too much of a bond between himself and L2. He didn't want to be hung onto. L was never pathetic. He didn't hang on anyone; _people_ had hung on _him_.

Things changed though. L2 had proven his intelligence by hacking into Raito's encrypted files and reading his long experiment analysis, the theories and the blueprints that made up his own body, and then he had found the picture of L, himself in essence and like any curious human would do, asked why he was the same as this person, even if he already knew. What he really wanted to know was why.

"You were created from L. You were designed from him," Raito said as he looked down at his Death Note, writing down names from the paper. There were few. L2 knew why but he never questioned that. It was really of little importance to him. The current matter held much more value in his opinion.

"I understand," L2 stated, "but why would I be created from him? In Raito-kun's notes, Raito-kun said that L couldn't have been trusted, that he was bad, evil for stopping justice. What makes me any different from him? Did Raito-kun just make me so he could kill me?" Raito looked up for the first time, looking at L2 with honest curiosity.

"What brought this on, L2?" Raito asked politely. L2 observed him momentarily. Raito wasn't worried, which was probably normal seeing as L2 wouldn't have attacked him. They could read each other well, L2 from Raito's words, the words he had heard from beyond the darkness before he had awoke, and Raito from L2's body language from when he had been unable to speak, in and out of unconsciousness.

"I wish to know where I came from. I am human, too, despite all the extra parts that are within me. Raito-kun created me from the original L. Why, if he was an enemy, would Raito-kun do that?"

Raito sighed and set down his pen, enclosing it in the folded spine of the Death Note. He had hoped he had encrypted his own files well enough but, as always, L2 got what he wanted.

"I…I created you as an experiment. I end lives everyday. It is only expected that I begin lives as well." L2 shook his head.

"Raito-kun is withholding information. That is a half-truth." Raito smiled and sighed again.

"Did I ever tell you about L?" L2 thought back and nodded. Raito had talked to him, shown him pictures even when he didn't need them. If he had wanted to see L, all he had to do was look in the mirror.

"L was…brilliant. He was hundreds of people, three of which were the three best detectives in the world," Raito said wistfully. "He came the closest to having me killed. I didn't even get to kill him myself. He was one of the most intellectual people that ever lived," Raito ended.

"So Raito-kun brought me to life…because he died," L2 surmised. Raito shook his head negatively before pausing and nodding. For the first time, L2 could see that Raito looked a bit confused, possibly by his own answer.

"I suppose…L grew on me a bit. Once I had the time to think about it, L had been buried much farther into me than I had thought. He was a friend to me, despite the preconceived classification of enemies." Raito relinquished a small grin at L2 only to see that he was looking away, the pad of his thumb pressed into his lips as he crouched onto the metal chair that was set beside Raito's "justice table".

"Hmm….Raito-kun shouldn't have brought me to life," L2 mumbled thoughtfully. Raito looked at him in surprise.

"Why shouldn't I have?" L2 looked back at him, wide eyes directly on Raito's.

"Raito-kun should know that L2 is not L. We are not the same person. Genetically, maybe so; but like any twin or clone, there are differences. If I were L, I wouldn't care for Raito-kun. Raito-kun was the one who brought me to life, so I have to care." Raito sighed. He hadn't expected this conversation to ever come up.

Standing, Raito walked to L2's side and noisily turned the chair around to him, the metal of the chair's legs screeching against the floor.

Looking at L2, Raito saw the resemblance. The skin, the hair that had grown those last two inches in that feathery mess, the dark eyes circled with that light lavender that came from lack of sun and sleep; how could he not be?

"You are L," Raito said quietly. He had not been this close to L2, not since he had placed those glorious slate-black eyes into those once-empty orifices. The eyelashes that were taken from his hair…they fluttered thickly with every wide blink he took, black as night against the lavender sundown of his cheekbone.

Raito was good at hiding things, particularly from himself. Like the fact that he was really just a murderer that killed people with a notebook and he wasn't really a god, that was one secret that he kept from himself. Another: he had been horribly attracted to L _and _L2. It was clear from the way he had pulled his fifth-grade-boy attitude on L2 by keeping him at a distance and occasionally insulting him to get him to work more, how he sometimes watched L2 longingly while L2 was busy practicing his fighting stances and when he was eating his desired food, sugar, one of the many things he had gotten from L.

When he leaned his head closer, L2 just stared in curiosity, genuinely wondering what Raito planned on doing. From the movies and books he'd read, there were many things Raito could do. For one, he could knock their heads together, though that would have just been idiotic, he could lean their heads together in a brotherly fashion, he could speak to L2 in a whisper to create a moment that should be remembered between them but never brought up again, or he could….

Raito's lips descended on L2's and L2's mind reeled. He had read and heard about this. Kisses…they were a sign of intimacy. As Raito's tongue lapped at his bottom lip, pushing between his lips and licking at his teeth for entrance, L2 recognized what he was supposed to do. His mouth opened and Raito's tongue touched his own.

It was wet and L2 didn't respond much. He could only assume that Raito was taking his affections and placing them on himself only because there was no one else around. Raito didn't really give him rules; he'd never told him what to do in this sort of situation when Raito lost himself. He'd never done it before.

Still, L2 was human and instinct—though it didn't rule him—knew more about what to do than he did. He allowed his own tongue to move along with Raito's, the wet appendage performing a strange, slow dance in his own mouth, pushing and pulsing against Raito's. It wasn't bad; no, it was quite pleasant. Raito had such an interesting flavor about him, minty from his toothpaste, bitter from his blandly unsweetened tea, spicy from something that had to have been in his food—peppercorns? Curry?—and something that was human, moist and warm, that pulled all the tones of previously ingested foods into an intoxicatingly wonderful taste that left L2 wanting more.

Raito groaned as L2's hands went to his hair and tugged him closer. The steel sides of the chair were uncomfortable to grasp and hold on to, so Raito tugged L2 up and held him tightly to his chest by putting his arms around his waist. L2's tongue moved against his own in an erratic rhythm, inexperienced and sloppy but oh so sweet. His hands were so entangled into Raito's hair that Raito could only assume that he was enjoying what was happening. He allowed his hands to glide under L2's loose white shirt, feeling the sharp shoulder blades and the ridges of a perfectly constructed spine beneath his fingertips. He'd always given L2 privacy, never really looking at any particular part of him more than another; it was part of his lying façade, the side of himself that he hid from himself. He hadn't wanted to really admit that he had wanted to really just look at L2's backside for so long. Now, he could _feel _L2. L2 was human, just as L had been, and that meant that L2 wasn't at fault when he shivered against Raito as wandering hands explored his backside, sliding from his shoulders down to his butt and back up again, grabbing and groping in wonderfully random combinations.

Raito pushed and stumbled with L2 in his arms, still kissing and sucking madly at his lips, until they reached his room. He'd been subconsciously longing for this moment for months, maybe even years. He wanted it done properly, even if they went at it fast. It had to be in a bed. Later, when L2 was prepared and more ready, they could christen the rest of the home that Raito owned, the one he had taken over as part of his tyranny.

L2 was overcome with some sort of need, some sort of want that he knew he just had to have or there would be hell to pay. There was a burning in his veins; his heart was beating too fast and too lightly in his chest. There were inklings of thoughts shooting around his brain, surrounded and clouded in the haze of red that flooded his mind when he tried to focus on anything other than Raito. The latter was sucking on his neck, pulling the hair at the back of his head so he could have more surface area to take over. Little nips and licks were attacking his neck and collarbone; L2 questioned them. He had read up on this, he was sure. What was their purpose? He didn't know—he was so young, still—but he did know that they felt wonderful and sent heat down to his thighs. He released moans and groans and whimpers that he never thought he would release unless he was fighting against Raito in the designated area that he had for training. There was just so much heat…it was so powerful…

In the back of Raito's head, he was glad he had put a metal plate on the top and backside of L2's skull. As he had rushed and tumbled to get themselves to his room, he had run into the edge of the door, knocking L2 on the head. L2 didn't seem bothered at all. Rather, he tried more insistently to get Raito closer to him that humanly possible, almost as if he were trying to get their skin to mesh together until it formed one being. As much as Raito would have loved to argue with that possibility in as scientific a manner as was humanly possible for him, he was much too distracted. L2's shirt had somehow come off in their fit of groping hands and his strong, sinewy muscles had managed to break to the buttons off of Raito's shirt. His hands were back in Raito's hair and he was practically purring as Raito continued his consistent ministrations on his neck. There were red marks all over the pale skin from Raito's teeth and tongue and he grinned as he lightly massaged an untouched portion of skin with his lips. As he pushed L2 onto his bed, his dark hair splaying against the silken sheets in feathery ebony tendrils, he looked unnatural, like something that couldn't possibly have been created by Raito. As if God himself had created him…

L2 watched Raito's chocolate-brown eyes as they gazed down on him in wonder. L2 wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. His cheeks felt even hotter but he had no idea why. He squirmed when Raito didn't take any further action other than staring. Raito shook his head lightly and climbed on top of him, his hips and legs placed fittingly between L2's. He murmured, "L…"

Maybe it was annoyance or anger that L2 felt, but he quietly replied, "L2 is not L." Raito sighed lightly, his eyes half-lidded in lust. With a tilted head, he captured L2's mouth, not caring to acknowledge what he had just said. L2 _was _L and yet he wasn't. It didn't matter to Raito. He was attracted to both L2 and L. L2 was here now and he was in Raito's bed as Raito finally allowed his attraction to seep out of him and Raito would take advantage of it. L2 cared for him, too. Raito cared for L2, probably more than he had cared for L. After all, L2 wasn't out to have him executed for murder. No; L2 was here because Raito had made him, created him with his own two hands like the God he was. He was here _for _Raito. That's all that mattered.

"I don't care who you are, L2," Raito murmured against L2's lips. "I want you."

The Seven Deadly Sins came to L2's mind. Lust had been one of the most powerful of them all. He didn't believe any of the sins were truly deadly on their own without a motive and a conscience behind them (he partook in the gluttony factor of those sins either way whenever he ate) but he knew that this was lust he was feeling. The heat in his loins had to be some sort of sign. His pants, always loose and comfortable, felt tighter somehow and every time he moved against Raito, his hips rubbed against Raito's to cause a wonderful friction that made L2's groin rub against the rough edge of his jeans.

Raito used his legs to push down L2's jeans as he sat up and unzipped his own once-pressed slacks. He knew L2 preferred not to wear underwear—it was one of things his subconscious always reminded him of when he saw L2 bend over to pick something up or when he crouched on a chair so his shirt rode up slightly and his jeans lowered—but he had never seen L2 with an erection. It was quite a sight, seeing the coarse black hair that grew surrounding an impressively long staff, wide in girth and yet so untouched. He pushed his ruined shirt off his shoulders and stood, removing his jeans and silk boxers. L2 was looking at him too; his face was red from the moaning and heady breathing that had just taken place in their activities. L2's gaze lowered until it reached Raito's own erection and if possible, his cheeks grew even redder and he squirmed. Raito had never felt the need to teach L2 of embarrassment, really. He was never going to be released out into public anyway. The only company he would have would be Raito until he saw that it was necessary that things changed. For instance, if L2 were to ever grow bored of the things he read over and over again, of the atmosphere that surrounded him…

Of Raito. Of God….

Raito shivered at the very thought but didn't allow that to hinder his movements as he crouched down to get a closer look at L2's staff. At the tip was a pearl of the essence that Raito had secretly wanted to taste for months. He palmed it and moved back slightly when L2's hips bucked. Flushed and needy, Raito led his mouth down the erection and licked the blue vein that showed clearly through pale skin, pinkish and purple from the boiling blood that had been pumping through L2 for so long.

L2 moaned and clenched his fists around the duvet beside his head. He had never felt this before, whatever _this _was. His hips were trying to buck upwards, to reach into the pure wet heat that engulfed _it_ but hot hands were pushing them down. He whimpered and groaned when Raito bobbed his head up and down; sucking lightly on the head of his sex, his eyes locked on L2's the entire time. When Raito stopped, just as L2 felt a coiling heat in his groin just pause its stretching and he whimpered in pain. The heat, it was scorching him. How could Raito stop? He had never been this cruel before.

Raito wasn't done yet. His own erection was painful and it just needed to be in the heat that he was sure L2's body provided. The fine specimen below him was sweaty and flushed and fully aroused, practically begging for more. Carefully, Raito grabbed some hand lotion from his bedside table and coated his fingers before placing one at L2's untouched entrance and pushing in.

L2 noticed immediately when there was an uncomfortable stinging coming from his rear end. It was impossible to miss, even with Raito's pleasant kisses to his thighs.

"Stop…no…not good…" L2 whimpered at the pressure and stinging of another finger venturing further into him. Raito had run experiments on him before, testing his heart and mind and endurance to ensure that he would stay alive for as long as it was estimated. With all the artificial parts in him, there was always the possibility of a malfunction of some sort. Some of the tests were painful, but L2 had never been particularly this vulnerable before. Raito was doing this for an alternate reason, something that had nothing to do with his lifespan or his existence. It was just L2 and Raito, nothing other than that.

Raito cooed soothing words to L2 as he kissed his thighs one last time and lay between his thighs again, his fingers still pumping in and out of L2's tight entrance, the warmth so intoxicating.

"Be patient," Raito whispered into L2's ear, "or it'll hurt more. Relax," he finished as he nipped gently as L2's ear. L2's eyes widened slightly before shutting again as he nodded. Raito smiled into L2's collarbone and pulled his fingers away from L2's entrance. He arranged his body to a perfect alignment with L2's body and looked down at him as he pushed in. L2's back arched as he cried out, gripping Raito's biceps in a tight grip that pained Raito enough for him to wince as he gasped and moaned. The tight heat…it was so much better than he had expected…so much more…

Slowly, he pushed in and out of L2, glad that he had left enough lubrication at his entrance to ease the unnecessary pain of a dry entrance. They were slow, powerful thrusts until Raito brushed against something inside of L2, the prostate no doubt, that caused L2 to arch off the bed until he grabbed Raito's shoulders and pulled Raito into a deep kiss, L2 moaning and whimpering louder than Raito thought possible.

L2 had never felt anything like what he had felt inside of him. The bursting of something that couldn't have been natural, something wonderful and ecstasy-inducing, it had to be unnatural. Still, he didn't mind feeling it so he bucked his hips to meet Raito's new, fast, powerful rhythm, practically screaming into Raito's neck every time he hit just the perfect angle.

Raito left L2's arms tighten even more, felt the way their hips were moving together to perform this perfect cycle. It was chemical, really. One reaction set of another and another and yet there was no catalyst that was unaffected. Maybe L had been the catalyst. He had given Raito something to want, something to long for. When L died, Raito wanted him back so he spent all his spare effort on forming this perfect being beneath him, smart and strong and beautiful enough for Raito to want enough to keep alive.

L2 tightness clenched and loosened and clenched again as his erection spurted more of the pearly white fluid that only just topped his staff earlier. Milking Raito of his own climax, his tensed arms fell from his shoulders as he once again splayed across the bed, beautiful and angelic and just wasted with pleasure. With a final weak thrust, Raito pulled out of L2 and collapsed beside him, warm and buzzing from the entire ordeal.

L2 wasn't sure of what to do now. He felt like doing something after such a satisfying experience, something that was simple yet very hard to do because he was unsure. Then Raito turned to him and wrapped his arms around L2's waist and pulled him close, kissing his lips gently and burying his head in his neck. L2 sighed contently. Yes, that seemed right.

Raito didn't mind that L2 was really just a copy of the original L. The original L hadn't done anything to show affection towards him other than claim that Raito was his first friend. L2 had been on Raito's side from the beginning, there even when Raito told him to go entertain himself or to go read and learn whatever he had to. L2 was special. He was the perfect being to have along side him. He didn't mind if it had all started with L. L2 and L were one in the same. L2 just had a different name and a longer life to live. Again, it was chemical. L2 and L were the same chemical. There was just more of L2 that was available for Raito.

He could live with that. So could L2 if his cuddling and hugging were any consolation.

**A/N**: Any questions concerning any confusion or plot-related items should be directed to me through a review or PM (personal message). I appreciate all opinions.

-Ex


	2. Chapter 2

"L2, are you avoiding me?" Raito looked up from the Death Note that was lying beside his perched hand, the tip of his pen relaxed lightly upon the magnificent paper that could end a life so quickly, so accurately, his eyes glinting a bright red that informed L2 that he was in trouble. The shinigami eyes always glowed more red from Raito's reddish-brown eyes, but when he angered, it was fire. L2 was always eager to ask more about them, occasionally wishing he could observe the Death Note up close, to read the rules that Raito so cautiously abided by. He had seen Raito speak to the air, knowing that the shinigami called Ryuk was standing there, eating the apples that Raito always left out for him.

L2 acted oblivious, furrowing his brows and widening his eyes as he had seen Raito do when he lied over the telephone, wasting precious energy over people that would never see his facial expressions. He had practiced expressions such as these when he bathed, having researched human anatomy and the facial structure of the average human being. He had noticed that during the activities that had taken place between Raito and himself that the face of his creator was an ever-changing palette of expressions. From the half-lidded eyes of lust to the scrunched face of release, L2 had seen a cornucopia of muscular reform throughout Raito's entire body. Through his pleasurable haze, he had taken note of everything, just as Raito had instructed he should do in every situation no matter who he was accompanied by.

"L2, that won't work with me. Have you been avoiding me? Tell the truth," Raito's eyes peaked at the spot above L2's head, L2 noted. Did Raito plan on killing him soon? Did L2 pose a threat that he was previously unaware of or had Raito just used L2 for sexual activities and was unsatisfied and didn't feel the need to have him around any longer? The need to survive was there, a small part of his brain-emitting a warning that he needed to escape if Raito was aiming at ending him, however, L2 knew that it was illogical. Raito had spent months of precious time and effort bring L2 to life. Why would he waste the product of that modern science couldn't even begin to comprehend?

"Raito-kun is being paranoid. What would be the purpose of avoiding him?"

Raito wasn't entirely sure. He knew that L2 had been satisfied after their encounter; the constant purring and the innocent hand-explorations had been enough to see that. Still, he worried about the distance L2 had put between them in the week since. There were no furtive glances, no light, barely-there caresses, and there definitely hadn't been any more of those wonderfully orgasmic encounters. Raito had thought that maybe L2 was finally relying on human instinct to be shy around others, especially those in which he fancied. In hindsight, it probably should have been a warning to Raito; L2 had never before gone to bed early nor had he ever passed up the cheesecake he often craved if Raito was in the kitchen. Had Raito known to search for these signs, he would have been much more aware, but he had never had to worry. Now, he caught himself looking up at L2's head to be sure that this was L2 who had been avoiding him and not some impostor.

L2 noticed Raito's small sigh and moved away. The instinct was still there, gnawing at his gut, but he did his best to ignore it. After all, he shouldn't have been worried at all. Had the other day never happened, he would have been just fine, unaware of the pleasure that sexual activity could bring. He hadn't wanted to know to begin with. After all, hadn't he wanted Raito to stop? Yes, he faintly recalled saying 'no' to Raito's advances, once. Afterwards, however, he said no such thing, but what of statutory rape? No, that wouldn't work. Despite L2's actual age, he had been formed into something with a twenty-five year old body. He was only months old but nobody would dare to believe him. Who would he tell, anyway?

"Have I done something that has made you uncomfortable, L2?" He thought over it for a moment. _Did _Raito do something to make him feel uncomfortable? Yes, he had, but L2 wasn't quite prepared to say, "You stuck your erect penis into my anal cavity, that's what you did!" It seemed rather childish and silly when he had obviously enjoyed it. L2 had done his research on the whole subject after hacking onto Raito's private wireless network so his activities wouldn't be tracked. Raito was notorious for wanting to know anything and everything that L2 did. It would have been a dangerous mistake for L2 to have used his own "child-safe" signal that reported all black-listed sites to Raito himself.

Of the screens that had come up in L2's search, he had had to sift through the things that looked promising. Pornography had been one of those many blue links that had been neatly scattered throughout his computer screen. At the start, he hadn't been sure exactly what he should search for. There were so many options; sexual activity, sexual relationships, homosexual relationships, homosexual sexual activities; the possibilities were splayed haphazardly across his mind. However, for every medical and advice page that was promoted, a link for "XXX Hot Gay Men, Twinks, Sex and More" popped up, the thumbnail picture sample so much more colorful than the bland white and blue screen-shot thumbnails of the other pages. The popularity of those sites and the amount of views called L2 to the most colorful of the links—the one displaying the "Hot Gay Men"--in which he clicked the link. Before his eyes, a collage of naked men had appeared before his screen, their skin either bronzed or pale white, the darker skinned men looking as if they had just been sweating profusely...or, according to the description, "oiled up".

L2 hadn't seen the point. Why would men put nude photos of themselves on the Internet? L2 learned of Japanese art and literature that was home to many a homosexual man. Still, why did people advertise it in such a crude manner? Surely this "fisting" and "blow-job' business couldn't have been good, could it?

Bring himself back to the present, L2 arranged his thoughts and removed a lollipop from his pocket. What could he possibly tell Raito? After all the pornography and the advice sites, he had decided that he had regrets but for exactly what he wasn't sure. That night had been intense and enjoyable, but when he had awoken the next morning, L2 had felt awkward, like he was somewhere he shouldn't have been, doing something that was distinctly off-limits, committing a crime that just wasn't done. He had left Raito's room immediately, done research, and then proceeded to avoid the cause of his emotional warfare. In an attempt to steer away any unnecessary question from Raito, he had studied more, learning exactly how to speak with a Cockney accent—if ever the need for said accent were to come up—and having finished his French lessons. Raito always scolded him that he needed to study more; he had merely been doing as he had been told. Never mind that he had ignored Raito's criticism up to that point.

"Raito-kun must have gained an illness if he has not been noticing my study rates. Perhaps he should consult his doctor." Angrily, Raito stood and clasped his hands on L2's thin, muscular shoulders. He glared into L2's dark eyes before taking note that the body he held in his powerful hands was incredibly stiff for someone who normally had such horrible posture....and L2's eyes were a bit wider than usual. It was an infinitesimal difference, but months of staring at that face in determination and wonder had made Raito aware. L2 was _frightened_.

L2 hadn't wanted to admit that he feared the shinigami eyes that watched him. The horrid color that they glowed was unnatural, bright marigold yellow surrounded by a blood-red ring...he feared them. They weren't human and he felt that when he was near Raito, that underlying threat that came with Raito as if by default. It was similar to having a fist around his neck. One wrong move and it would clench.

Raito didn't loosen his grip around L2's shoulders—he found he appreciated the lean muscle that was so wonderfully sculpted—but he was careful to soften his expression. L2 hadn't relaxed at all, but he hoped that maybe he could calm him down a bit. The only time Raito had seen L2 frightened was when he had first awoken, an animal that was relying on instincts alone. L2 had been trusting of Raito, had listened to his voice as soon as he'd heard it and then mumbled the ineloquent garble of sounds in Raito's face, his eyes large and awed as they watched Raito's mouth curve when he spoke to L2.

L2's lollipop had fallen to the floor, the colorful wrapper barely unwrapped from the hardened, flavored sugar on a stick. He ignored it as he felt the hands on his shoulders remain tightly clasped, Raito's eyes shifting from that glowing yellow and red to a reddish-brown.

_Raito won't kill me_, L2 thought to himself. _That would be a failure to him. He took too much time making me. He wouldn't put it all to waste._

"L2," Raito called. L2 was careful to focus his eyes blankly on Raito, unsure but unwilling to show it.

"I request that Raito-kun unhand me," L2 said reasonably, monotonously.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong. Is something bothering you?" L2 sighed and looked deeply into Raito's eyes, leaning forward slightly. Intrigued, Raito leaned forward as well, unconsciously loosening his grip as he needed flexibility in order to move in the first place. L2, silently smug, slipped from beneath Raito's barely-clenched hands and ran to his room, locking the door that he knew Raito had the key to. He didn't have much time. He'd never knowingly been outside of the house that was Raito's sanctuary. After L2 had learned how to talk, Raito had relocated them to this house. L2 knew by what means the house had come into his creator's hands but he didn't focus on that long seeing as the fate of that home owner could become his own in seconds.

He had no idea the exact location but he knew he was in Japan, somewhere in Japan. Now, all he had to do was hope that his knowledge of the language and his photographic memory would help him now. Online maps he had studied would have to be referenced as he ran on this impromptu escape.

Raito had never barred L2's window for L2 had never given him a reason to worry. There was supposed to be a perfectly logical reason for L2 to never go outside, a reason that Raito obviously didn't apply to himself. This meant that what Raito was teaching L2...it either was all lies or it was only part of the whole truth. Though he was keen to believe the first, L2 found that the latter was more probable.

Raito was shocked. He had licked his lips as he had stared at L2's as they came closer to his own. The circles had gotten deeper in the past week, making L2 look so much more like L than he had ever before. Then L2 was gone. It took Raito a moment to understand what had happened before he walked calmly to L2's room, knocking and requesting entry. When L2 didn't open the door or respond, Raito pulled his master key from his pocket and unlocked the door.

L2 was no longer there.

--

He took it all in, all the strange homes and the brick walls made from strangely placed diagonal stones to the small shrines that were littered in the oddest of places. There was a smell in the air that didn't remind him of the cleaning supplies Raito had used to clean, a smell he was quite accustomed to being exposed to. No, this air didn't smell of much except for a light scent, maybe powdery and sweet, something that wasn't quite appetizing but wasn't offensive. He wasn't quite sure if he enjoyed it or not.

L2 was not accustomed to having his senses tested in such a manner. The lighting wasn't quite as bright but that could have been because he was constantly underneath fluorescent bulbs. The air didn't seem as thick here but it was so bland and mixed that it didn't do anything for him. It was just _there_. L2 had trouble deciding whether or not he should just admit defeat and go back to Raito's safe home where he would be killed. Raito could have killed him by now—he was sure of this—but he figured maybe he was still alive because of Raito's curiosity. How would death affect a man who was created so differently from a normal man, a creature that was created not by a God but by another human, a creature that wasn't supposed to have a soul?

L2 shook his head. Reading the Bible hadn't been a good idea. It had left him with ideas and in order to quench the thirsting need of knowledge, he had done even more research. It had all led back to him. What if he hadn't been given a soul because he was made unnaturally? Did it still make him human? If not, why did he fear death? It was questions like those that angered L2 because he knew that they held no answer. He just wanted an answer.

L2 continued to run away from building and closer to the scent that had been drifting in the breeze (a breeze that he found most interesting as it caressed his skin through his shirt). Trees, he discovered as he neared the source, that blossomed pale pink flowers loosely enough that a breeze would tear them from their stems so they could float to the ground. Finally, he was beneath the trees at flowers fell and landed in his hair, petals being crushed beneath his bare feet. He had little time. Raito was going to find him if he didn't hide.

--

Raito felt like screaming. L2's window was wide open and it looked like he had scaled the two story wall that _should _have kept him from escaping in the first place. Raito cursed himself for even allowing L2 to exercise as much as he did; if he had just drawn some lines, none of this would have happened.

_No_, Raito thought. _He didn't need lines. He needed _freedom_. If I had restrained his progress, he would have rebelled and I wouldn't have been able to get close to him at all. _

Raito had no idea what could have possibly possessed L2 to run from him like he had. He regretted scaring him—despite the fact that he believed that occasionally a healthy dose of fear was necessary if one was becoming too comfortable with stepping over their boundaries as L2 had become—but he knew that there was something more that had led L2 to run. What could it have possibly been? L2 was intelligent and intellectual. Whatever it was that drove him away had to have been something bigger, something out of his control. But what?

_I have to find him_, Raito thought as he exited his home. _I can't let him get away from me. Not now, not when things were finally unfolding. _

Raito ran towards the streets, looking around and spying for L2, hoping desperately that L2's muscles weren't quite as strong as his own because if they were, it would be hell trying to find him.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **I would like to apologize in advance for the late updating. My occupation doesn't normally pull me away for such long hours but it seems that my latest case was a bit more difficult.

**DISCLAIMER: **Exorcism Expert owns nothing.

**CHEMICAL PART 3: WEIGHT**

In L2's opinion, shoes were unnecessary. However, as he ran down roughly paved roads, he wished he was able to wear shoes without cringing at the thought and feel of being so constricted by such strange rubber and fabric contraptions. He felt as if the skin of his feet was slowly being worn down and pressed into callousness. Still, bleeding feet were the least of his problems.

L2 had no money and no existing acquaintances. He'd had no problem with that if it weren't for the fact that he had needed neither in the time he had been with Raito. Now, as he escaped, he realized how necessary it became.

Beyond the blossoming trees had been a large building, majestic and stern-looking, young people walking around the front of the building, some speaking to one another in animated voices and others reading text books on benches, mumbling to themselves with furrowed brows. L2 took it in like a sponge, saving the expressions of the people and the words they said into his memory, hoping he didn't forget a thing. He would have felt overwhelmed by it all it not for the constant flow of knowledge that he was used to consuming on a daily basis.

He wandered closer to the building, accidentally brushing past a student who spoke angrily, "Fuckin' watch where you're going!" L2 curiously stared as they walked away. 'Fuckin'? What was that?

--

Raito was distraught and nearly pulling his hair out as he ran in search of L2. He'd thought it'd be relatively simple seeing as the area Raito lived in was a fairly nice place, taped off from other buildings and businesses by the huge line of cherry blossom trees. Apparently, he'd been wrong.

L2 had no experience with people and when it came to modern society, practice made perfect, something Raito should have realized about his plan to keep L2 sheltered in the first place. Without the proper skills needed to communicate with people, L2 would likely create a ruckus among those he interacted with which would result in unnecessary violence.

Somewhere in those thoughts, Raito recognized that he didn't really care for what happened to others, as long as L2 was okay. If L2 were to be hurt, it would be his own fault, not Raito's, but Raito would feel responsible, as selfish as he was. Whatever it was that had upset L2, Raito could have prevented it. He hated taking the blame but he knew that it was his own fault.

As Raito ran past the long line of trees, he noticed the sweetness in the air and the whisper of the wind as it rushed past his ears and through his hair. Acute things like that were picked up by his senses as he searched so attentively. He nearly crashed to a stop when he realized what that meant.

L2 was out here, alone and unaccustomed to being attacked by such sensory overload. He'd want to take it all in. So that meant that he'd be in a place where there would be sounds, smells, sights, and the cause of all those things: people. Immediately, Raito ran faster in the opposite direction of where he'd originally been headed. Only one place nearby could give L2 the sort of satisfaction he'd be seeking: To-Oh University.

--

L2 was surrounded by a massive crowd of young people wearing clothing that only slightly resembled Raito's, clothing that was much more casual. Some were yelling for the man in front of him to fight, others were, surprisingly, rooting for him to proceed. It was greatly confusing. He remembered Raito doing this before.

_Come on, L2. Can you hit me? Can you even try and manage to hit the mark completely? You probably can't; after all, you're just a beginner. Not much of a fighter, at that._

A punch was planted on his face and his face was turned painfully, shocking him out of his thoughts. Angrily, he did as Raito had told him. The man in front of him was lucky to still be alive. His nose was only broken, thank goodness. Otherwise, L2 thought, he'd have to drag some dead body around until he thought of what to do with it.

"You mother-fucking bitch! You broke my nose, you fuckin' bastard!" L2 calmly assessed the situation.

"You initiated the battle. L2 only proceeded to defend himself. He is at no fault," he replied before thoughtfully adding, "And L2 is not a female, therefore he cannot be a bitch. Though, he has no father so he cannot defend himself from being called a bastard…"

"You little—"

"Ryuga-kun!" Curious, L2 looked up from his the floored man, his eyes widening when he saw that Raito was running toward him with a look of concern and determination on his face. The reaction was instantaneous; L2 was ready to run but the surrounding crowd prevented him from going far. Still, he pushed as best he could only to be held on to tightly by the arms by an older man with thick glasses and a respectable looking suit. He looked like an older, much less attractive version of Raito.

"So you are the cause of all the commotion. Good thing I've called the authorities; there is no place for hooligans like you out on the street." L2 struggled but froze up completely when Raito suddenly appeared at his side, panting excessively. His eyes narrowed. Raito wouldn't be that winded, even if he had run five miles rather than the one that L2 had run from the house to the building. He and Raito practiced and trained everyday. There was no way he'd be that tired.

"Oh, Ryuga-kun, I was so worried! Why ever did you decide to run off like that? I nearly had a heart attack!"

As good of an actor as he was, even L2—whom happened to greatly lack social skills—knew that Raito was laying it on thick. However, the man who had grabbed him looked at Raito like everyone else did, a look of respect on their face. After all, the tight-gripped man looked flattered, as if seeing Raito wearing nearly the same thing as himself gave him great pride. Again, the attractive clone theory sprung through L2's mind.

"You know this young man, Yagami-san?" His eyes narrowed further. So this man knew Raito. Interesting. Why had he never heard of him?

"Yes, Sato-sensei, he's a family friend that's been staying with me." The professor sniffed with disdain, obviously unimpressed with this explanation.

"Well, this _boy _has been causing all this trouble. I'm afraid that we will need to wait for the authorities to decide what will happen next." Raito's eyes widened as the group surrounding them continued their hushed discussions of what was to come.

"Sato-sensei, Ryuga-kun suffers from schizophrenia! He can't help it. He's been taking his medication but sometimes he has these fits. I'd only thought that I'd allow him to get some fresh air—it's been _so long _since he's been outside—but he got a bit excited. I'm sure he meant no harm. Here, I'll even show you the paperwork!" Raito hurriedly pulled out various forms from his wallet, neatly unfolding them for the professor to see. When the cops came—which they _did _come, not thirty seconds later—Raito shared the information with them too.

L2 desperately wanted to just run while he could but Raito had his wrist tightly in his manacle-like hand, squeezing frequently as if to warn L2 of what would happen next.

"Thank you so much, Sato-sensei. I don't know how I can ever repay you!" The man shook his head kindly and turned to L2, saying, "Don't you go running off again, Ryuga-san. We wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you." The officers that had joined them nodded as well, bowing in respect to Raito for reasons L2 knew not of.

It was ironic, though. Just as Professor Sato told L2 to be careful, he was also sending him off to his doom. There was no reason for Sato to warn him not to wander off again. He wouldn't be in any condition to wander after today.

--

Raito couldn't describe the immense sense of relief he felt as he pulled L2 past the throng of students by the wrist, glaring angrily at the man who had initiated the fight as he was dragged into the police officer's car, arrested for the civil dispute. After all, as far as the officers knew, he'd just attacked a mentally ill man. Shame on him.

Still, Raito couldn't help but feel the tension that L2 so greatly emitted as he was tugged along; it certainly wasn't ignorable. L2 always had Raito's focus, no matter what he did or what was happening. He was worth the concentration.

It wasn't until they reached a safe distance from To-Oh that Raito pushed L2 against the trunk of a large cherry blossom tree, ignoring L2's nearly-silent grunt as he was manhandled roughly.

"Why did you run, L2? What the fuck were you thinking?!" He was met with a cool, blank stare. It reminded him of a dead cat, large eyes shining brightly only because of the reflective haze that floated over the irises when death arose. He shook L2 by the shoulders. "Answer me!"

"And if I refuse? Will Raito-kun kill me?" Raito's eyes widened.

"What are you talking about, L2? Who said anything about me killing you?" A little huff of air escaped L2's mouth, hardly audible to anyone farther than six inches away from him, as Raito was.

"Raito-kun…should know that he is going to leave a bruise." Raito looked down at his own hands, tightly fisting L2's shoulders through his shirt. L2's voice had been flat, seemingly uncaring, but even Raito would have winced in pain at the handling. However, he didn't let him go. For now, L2 was here, safe and sound in Raito's hands, and he didn't wish to lose him quite yet. It had been enough that this was all déjà vu for them both, but Raito wasn't about to make the same mistake twice.

Instead of continuing further, Raito looked around suspiciously in search of any passerby before pulling L2 into a hug. "You will tell me the truth," he whispered, slowly pulling away from L2 and dragging him back home.

--

L2 had never cared much for society's strange customs and he'd never really cared for the law all that much, even though it hardly affected him in his own home—scratch that, _Raito's _home—but he knew right from wrong, even if he did ignore it. This was why he wondered why he'd never decided to be some kind of vigilante or estranged law enforcer; from what he'd heard, they were people with good intentions who just didn't always do things _right_.

How his dislike for society brought up possible career choices, only L2's deepest thoughts knew. He'd have to dig deep but in his current turmoil, he wasn't sure he could. Raito had sat him down on the couch with a cup of hot coffee, a pyramid of sugar cubes, cheesecake, and a fork and spoon. L2 didn't dare touch the utensils, fearing that Raito may have laced them with poison. Raito would never risk putting that in the food, something so easily ingested. It was hard to mix up silverware in the house they lived. Raito always used traditional chopsticks to eat and he never put sugar or cream in his drinks. So, rather than risking death, L2 bided for hoping his sugar dissolved properly in his coffee and picking up bites of cheesecake with his fingers as Raito paced before him, the only separation between the two being the coffee table.

--

Raito watched L2 hesitantly eat his cheesecake, his eyes focused on Raito's hands and face. What did he expect him to do? The wide-eyed, fearful look was hidden carefully behind a calm façade.

L2 had never acted this way before, not since before…

L2 was behind the couch as soon as Raito leaped to get him, his lithe body in a defensive crouch that warned Raito that he would be the next with a broken nose if he came any closer. Raito was leaning against the couch, breathing harshly and nearly trying to crawl over the upholstery.

"L2, tell me why you won't be around me anymore!" L2's eyes narrowed and he made a run for it, making it only half way down the hall before he was tackled to the carpet. His teeth knocked against each other as his cheek met the carpet, hair blinding him. Raito was on top of him, sitting on his lower back and leaning forward until his cheek was against L2's ear.

"Tell me, L2, tell me now. It'll be the truth if you know what's good for you." L2 struggled beneath him, but Raito had him firmly in place, squeezing his shoulders with firm hands until L2 simply fell limply, his breath harsh, sharp little sounds coming from his mouth that were muffled by the carpet. Raito had to lean closely to hear, and only then did he understand what was happening. L2 was crying.

It breached Raito's chest like a hit of coke, strong and harsh and lasting. Even as the original shock wore off, there was the everlasting presence. However, this pained him. L2 didn't cry, didn't show sadness or emotion in general. _This_, whatever _this _was, it killed Raito from the inside. It was similar to when he'd gone home that day to see his mother and sister, looked into their eyes and realized that they struggled more without he and his around than they did when they were there. Raito had realized then that as Kira, he would never be able to be the brother and son they needed, and as long as Kira existed, Soichiro would never be the husband and father he needed to be. So he'd relieved them, mercifully, taking their lives as they slept.

He remembered, though, that that night, just before going to bed, Sayu had looked into his eyes deeply. She had seemed to search for something before hugging her brother tightly, saying she'd miss him and she loved him no matter what before saying "Goodbye," not "Goodnight". Raito has suspected that Sayu had expected him to be gone in the morning, like he always was when he came by for a visit, but maybe she'd known. Sayu was his sister, after all; she'd be intuitive even if she was horrible at her schoolwork. Homework wasn't everything; maybe her intelligence had blossomed later than his had, just a couple years after his own. Perhaps her inevitable death by nightfall had sparked the knowledge that she was the sister of the world's new god.

Raito looked down to L2—never at him—and realized that L2 had Sayu's expression all over his face, the only difference being the darkness that surrounded his eyes, the fallen expression that Raito remembered L had had on his face when he'd leant down to him on that stairwell.

"You don't have to be afraid, L2. You're not dying by my hand. I won't allow it."

--

L2 was frozen deep down in his gut. Raito was going to have someone else kill him. Goodness, it was one thing to be destroyed by your creator but it was another to be killed by a complete stranger! How shameful that he wouldn't be able to even protect himself from the newcomer, the one who would kill him without even knowing him! Would Ryuk do it for Raito? Or would Raito create a new being to kill him, someone to replace L2? L2 shook with the realization. There was no chance of him staying alive, was there?

Maybe this was why he wanted to become that unknown, unseen vigilante who helped people. Not for the glory, but for the challenge and to save these people who were unable to save themselves. Maybe it was for himself; maybe it was because he wished he had someone to save him now.

"I'm sorry," Raito continued, "for whatever it is that I've done. Please don't be afraid. You are important to me, L2, nearly as important as my job as Kira. Why would I end your life now, when it has only just begun?"

"Don't let me be killed," L2 begged quietly, voice drawn like his defensive crouch. "I will do whatever you say; I will follow orders as you wish. Don't kill me…" Raito's hands were rubbing through his clothing, pushing it aside before bunching it up again with every circular motion his hand made. It wasn't uncomfortable but L2 wasn't ready for it. He was barely stifling the harsh sobs fighting with his throat. It was unnatural for him to feel so overwhelmed by the onslaught, to _feel_. He could hardly stand it.

"You're safe," Raito whispered reverently, like a holy man who believed in his prayers as if they were concrete beings. "No one will hurt you any longer. You aren't going to die."

"You said that once," L2 reminded blurrily. It seemed like a distant memory now as he thought back to it. It hurt to remember that Raito had lied to him, his first friend.

--

L2 weighed much more than anybody would think, Raito thought. Then again, he was carrying dead weight which, unfortunately, was about the same amount he weighed, meaning he was carrying his own weight. Irony had a funny way of biting him in the backside.

Still, Raito was careful to not injure L2's precious being as he carried him as best he could through the surprisingly narrow halls (had they _always _been this long, he wondered) and into his own room. It was closer and he felt that maybe when L2 woke from his pressure-point-induced rest, he'd appreciate a softer bed. Maybe he'd get an explanation, as well.

As he rested the body on the bed, he assessed the damage L2 and he had inflicted upon him. It was one thing that L2 had a bruise running across his cheek and jaw from the idiotic student whom had attacked him, but it was another than Raito could have caused permanent damage from his tackle. L2 wouldn't feel the severity of the injury because he didn't know physical pain as Raito did—he still had a child-immunity complex—but Raito knew that he could have easily done something that would indefinitely shorten his life.

First having removed L2's shirt, Raito felt around L2's strong chest, fingering the breastbone and feeling for cracks and abrasions that could have ruptured the skin. There was carpet burn, minimally damaging but possibly painful. He'd have to apply ointment to cool the future burning.

The knees were next, following by the shins, ankles, and feet. There didn't seem to be any other damage other than a series of cuts on his feet, probably due to his running on the pavement. He would have to find a way to allow L2 to accept that he needed bandages on his feet, and then socks. The man loathed them with a passion, for some reason.

Carefully, Raito turned him over and moved up from the feet to the lower back, probing up to the shoulder blades. There were no major displacements, nothing to cause concern other than a few bruises the shape of Raito's hands. He winced at that. He hadn't meant to be so rough; L2 bruised more easily than he'd originally thought.

There was one large bruise the shape of his palm on the back of L2's neck, a large reminder that Raito truly did hold everything there was to know about L2 in his hands. He'd been quick to render him unconscious so he wouldn't struggle any longer and get any more self-inflicted wounds. He supposed they were his fault; after all, he had been the one who chased L2 down. Still, he didn't look at the burns and bite mark on L2's face with guilt—Raito steeled himself—because L2 had been had fault. He didn't rub his face into the carpet, after all.

He was horrible at lying to himself when it came to L2, it seemed.

He couldn't help himself, though; he longed to hear all he could from L2, no matter how emotionally damaging it was. L2 was special in a way that Raito never believed he could be, special in the same way that the Death Note was special, only L2 was human and not at all the tool that Misa had been. He was an equal.

His hands rubbed up and down L2's bare back, unconsciously massaging the aches and pains that should be there, easing stress that resided within the recesses of his creation's mind. He laid at L2's side, curling around him, hoping he'd wake soon. It was warm but cold at the same time; L2's hands and shoulder blades were always cool, the skin above them too tight around the metal frame work to actually gain enough heat. That was one of Raito's fears; L2 couldn't generate enough body heat half the time and if it was cold enough outside, he'd freeze. This godly creation of his had its flaws, just like humans, but it worried him nonetheless because he wasn't the same as humans. He couldn't be treated with the same care as anybody else.

What would he do if L2 didn't exist? Would he have continued making progress as Kira, slowly taking over the world as it was until things were right and perfect and he was a god and not much more?

It sounded dreadfully dreary now that he thought about it.

L2 had given him more than one purpose, unlike the Death Note—this was all very much a revelry to him, so he didn't quite notice that he wasn't opposed to the idea—which had only given him one goal. With his lovely creation, he would have someone to rule with, someone who would understand what he said without admiring Raito for only one part of him. Narcissistically, Raito wished to be honored as a whole being, not pieces of one.

Also, L2 had reminded him of humility and the power of equal intelligence. Similarly to Raito, L2 was learning at an outrageously fast pace and was observing every morsel of knowledge that he could. However, L2 was intrigued by the onslaught of information, much more so that Raito, and he thrived when he was given heaps of it. He would be much smarter than Raito if he could get his hands on all the information in the world.

Raito sighed and pulled L2 more tightly against him, turning him so his young creation's back was to his chest. He caressed the smooth, bruised skin and wished vaguely that his hands didn't hold so much power.

**A/N: **Opinions and views are appreciated, as well as questions. Feel free to question.


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